Blacks Seek To Improve Afro Studies

A group of black students and two associate professors of Afro-American studies met yesterday to discuss what they see as the problems of the Afro-American department: the lack of communication between the students and faculty and the decline in popularity of both Afro-American courses and the department.

Aaron Estis '78 organized the meeting in an effort to consolidate student opinion in order to present to the faculty suggestions for changes in the department.

An associate professor present at the meeting also stressed the need for consolidation of opinion to enable Faculty and student action to establish the permanency of the department.

He said the department needs tenured professors, a graduate studies program and "a wholehearted recognition and acceptance of the department by the administration."

The administration has recently rejected 12 candidates for tenure in the Afro-American Studies department and is opposing departmental efforts to form a graduate studies program and has not asked for any input from the Afro-American Studies department concerning the recently proposed Core Curriculum, the associate professor added.

Many students at the meeting spoke of a gradual reduction in student input in the affairs of the Afro-American department since its formation in 1969.

Students also discussed what they believed to be a general trend within the department to exclude students in discussions about the curriculum, general examinations, tenured professors, plans to offer graduate studies in the department and the general progress of the department.

The associate professor said the department is not trying to ignore students's interests, but instead is investing time and effort to establish the department's permanency.